A viral video has placed a magnifying glass on the taco catering industry after a local company said it was not paid for its work, while the family who hired the company said it didn’t bring enough food.
Jose Manuel Aragon is the owner of Tacos Guys. He told NBC 7 Responds that 14 years of catering has taught him how to figure out how many pounds of meat he’ll need for any event, big or small. He adds that the nature of a taco buffet — known as a taquiza — doesn’t really allow for tracking the exact number of tacos served. He said most times there are leftovers.
Aragon acknowledged that at this particular event, he started running out of food quicker than anticipated. He said that’s mainly because more people showed up than what was agreed upon or because people just ate multiple servings.
However, Aragon is not exactly sure what happened at the family celebration at a Santee park earlier this month. His client accused him of not bringing enough food for 50 people. In a social media video that went viral, though, the customer said only 42 people showed up and that she refused to pay the $515 still owed after a $100 deposit.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
Aragon said his employee should’ve alerted him sooner when the food began to run out, but he also said he wasn’t given the chance to make things right once he was called.
Here’s how to avoid similar trouble if you’re considering having a taquiza:
- Get everything in writing: Most of the smaller mom-and-pop businesses operate with a handshake, but that doesn’t mean you can’t put everything in writing. You’ll find most, if not all, are happy to sign a contract
- Don’t call in changes: It’s better to send any modifications to the agreement via email or text. That way everyone’s on the same page
- Check-in during the event: Touch base with the taquero to see how the food is doing. They often have backup plans in case more food is needed
Aragon hopes what happened in Santee will help strengthen the bond of the local taquiza industry with their clients.
NBC 7 Responds
NBC 7 tried numerous times to get in contact with the customer who appeared in the video but she never returned our calls or messages.
